Red Sox - 000 004 000 - 4 10 1 Mariners - 102 000 000 - 3 12 0The Red Sox will not finish their road trip 0-9. Boston snapped a seven-game losing streak with a late-night victory in Seattle.
Cody Ross hit a three-run homer and Ryan Lavarnway followed with a solo shot. Lester (6-9-3-2-4, 111) never got into a good rhythm, but held on for the win.
The Mariners threatened in the bottom of the ninth when Eric Thames tripled with two outs. But Andrew Bailey retired Kyle Seager on a fly to right to preserve the win.
Dustin Pedroia and James Loney each had two hits. Pedroia has a 14-game hitting streak.
Podsednik, LFThe Red Sox will try to snap a season-high, seven-game losing streak. Before yesterday's loss, Ben Cherington said:
Pedroia, 2B
Ellsbury, CF
Ross, RF
Loney, 1B
Saltalamacchia, C
Lavarnway, DH
Ciriaco, 3B
Iglesias, SS
It's hard to watch. ... We knew when we made the trade [with the Dodgers] that we weren't helping our team win games the rest of this year. ... It's hard for everyone to get the work done, what needs to get done, but the only choice we have is to do it - to show up the next day and make sure the work gets gone.Ah, the joys of playing out the string.
Peter Abraham posted a bunch of random notes, including the fact that Jose Iglesias (0-for-16) has hit the ball out of the infield only twice in 18 plate appearances.
Jeff Passan, Yahoo!:
Red Sox players do not trust owner John Henry, chairman Tom Werner and president Larry Lucchino. They see the owners' box as a den of lies, leaks and resentment, the place where Lucchino hatched the idea to hire Bobby Valentine as manager, which has gone about as pleasantly as an enema. ...Kirk Minihane, WEEI:
From the start, Bobby Valentine had no chance. This should've been obvious. Francona left beloved to the players, a scapegoat for a wretched September. Lucchino wanted Valentine to change the culture – to be different, like different meant right. He was different, yes, supposedly an authoritarian, certainly a meddler, master manipulator and provocateur. Throw that into a clubhouse of territorial alpha dogs, Francona loyalists and those wounded by last September, and it's a Molotov cocktail of a hire.
I'll be honest, I have no idea why Valentine is still managing this team. There is literally nothing to gain, no benefit for Valentine or any player on the roster. ...
[W]hat has Valentine done to earn another season? Players have underperformed under his watch, the lack of communication is almost historic, and there is a very real chance that he is going to lose 90 games this season. ...
The justification for keeping Valentine in his job eludes me. I suspect it's only an attempt by ownership to appear not to be giving in to players, which is of course a titanically stupid line of thought. ... It's a moronic reason, but I suppose it passes for a reason.
We passed the point of no return in the W-L contest a few days ago.
ReplyDeleteThe lowest entry is 90-72. The Red Sox need 28 wins to hit 90 - and they have only 26 games left. So ... no winner in the contest.
I would like to give away the book, so I am open to suggestions as to what to do for the prize.
One possible idea: Put everyone who entered's name in a hat and pull out a winner.
Give it to me! I told you long ago (when Bailey was injured in spring training)that my prediction was 75 wins, but I was too afraid that I would be called names by the eternal optimists around here to enter a bid. My 75 wins is looking optimistic at this point.
ReplyDelete(I am kidding---I know rules are rules, and I didn't submit an entry. But damn, I am kicking myself!)
Here, for the record, were my comments back on April 3, after reading that Bailey would be out 3-4 months:
ReplyDeleteMy already low expectations just dropped another notch. I didn't enter the WL contest this season because I didn't want to share just how pessimistic I am, but I think I would drop another ten games off the win column based on this news. ...Well, I would have brought that floor down with an 85---before learning that Bailey was out for 3-4 months. I hate being this negative, but I feel what I feel. I am hoping we can break 80.
Thus, 85 minus 10 = 75.
HA! I hadn't remembered Allan's response:
ReplyDeleteThis is not a below .500 team.
I'll buy a Yankee hat and kiss a photo of Jeter if we finish under .500.
So you owe me that at least, Allan!
Further evidence of my prescience:
ReplyDeleteI am just worried about injuries to people like Youk or Papi and more pitching troubles. But I am so glad the rest of you are more optimistic.
Not that I am happy that I was right, but what can I say? The hell with stats, sometimes intuition is just right. :)
Amy wins if the RS are 75 or, god help us, worse...!
ReplyDeleteSo you owe me that at least, Allan!
ReplyDeleteOh, shit!
(They need to go 20-6 to finish at 82-80.)
I'll buy a Yankee hat and kiss a photo of Jeter if we finish under .500.
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking we're gonna need some photographic evidence of that one.
But maybe a single hard copy that we mail to each other, kinda like the trophy going town to town.
Amy really wants that book, my vote for Amy as well. And Allan you may have said you would buy a Yankee hat and kiss a pic of Jetes , but I would let you slide on that , that is a bet you make with yankee fans any Red Sox fan would never allow you do such a foolish thing.
ReplyDeleteAnd would they bring back Tito? This team right now seems like it is a few years away from competeing again.
ReplyDeleteEh, give it to Amy. Sure as hell don't give it to me unless it's a chance drawing. I think I said like 200 wins or something.
ReplyDeleteI think Allan either has to kiss a photo of Jeter or just give Amy the book!
ReplyDeleteI think Allan either has to kiss a photo of Jeter or just give Amy the book!
ReplyDeleteBoth!
He doesn't even have to buy a NYY cap. He can wear my old one (signed by M Rivera).
I think we'll get a pic of that shortly. :)
Hey, I got it. Amy, you can have the book, but you have to pick it up in person. :)
ReplyDeleteSure, give the book to Amy - and I sure hope she gives you a mulligan on the whole kiss-a-picture-of-Jeter thing.
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine why Tito would want this job at this point, either. Even if he hadn't gotten slimed on the way out, it's totally radioactive. Just guessing, but I think it's going to have to be someone relatively young, and hungry, to take the job next. Why would anybody with a well-established reputation want to touch it? You don't have enough control over the situation to ensure success, and you're certain to take way more than your fair share of the blame if things don't go well next season.
Well, I appreciate all who think I should have the book, but like I said, I didn't even enter the contest. Maybe Laura has the right idea---whoever first gets to visit you guys in Toronto should get it and save you the postage! (And, Tim, you are disqualified because you live there already. :) )
ReplyDeleteAs for Allan's duty to live up to his bet, the thought of him wearing a NYY hat or kissing a picture of Jeter is SO disturbing that, like 9C said, I'd let that slide. But hey, he didn't make that bet with me---he made it with all of us, so that one's not up to me!
Why would anybody with a well-established reputation want to touch it? You don't have enough control over the situation to ensure success, and you're certain to take way more than your fair share of the blame if things don't go well next season.
ReplyDeleteThat all may be true, but it won't dissuade many people from wanting the position. There are only 30 spots like it in the world, and only a few of those come with the excitement and possibility of Boston.
...it won't dissuade many people from wanting the position.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny, Laura - they're debating this same point on SoSH right now.
Most commenters agree with you - it's a prestigious job, and someone's going to come along who will think he can fix it.